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Round the World 2015
  • Trav and Suki
Mar – Oct 2015

Round the World 2015

A 222-day adventure by Trav and Read more
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  • Trip start
    March 22, 2015
    Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Perth Airport

    March 22, 2015 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 17 °C

    And we're off! The adventure begins :-)

    Armed with 1 backpack each full of belongings... first stop Brissie!!

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Brisbane Airport

    March 23, 2015 in Australia ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Finally the time has come to embark on our round the world trip! After saying goodbye to friends and family, (and suki spilling her champagne all over her bag) we're currently kicking back on board the plane ready to begin our 9 month adventure!

    Watch out Vancouver here we come!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    LAX Airport

    March 23, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 17 °C

    First long leg done! Arrived at LAX to a pretty annoying flight transfer process.. Fortunately our flight over was pretty awesome ☺ (I tried not to embarrass Travis in business class and failed... Everything was so exciting!)

    One more short leg to go!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    1st Night in Vancouver!

    March 23, 2015 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 6 °C

    After some plane maintenance issues at LAX we finally landed in Vancouver........ totally unprepared for the cold drizzly weather that lay ahead.

    Dhileep has kindly let us crash in his awesome downtown apartment overlooking the city. Had a great night sharing old work stories with Dhileep and Daniel and chowing down on classic american burgers and beers.

    After 30 hours since we left Australia - jet lag has finally kicked in

    Goodnight!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Ok Go Concert

    March 25, 2015 in Canada ⋅ 🌧 7 °C

    After a long day of miserable cold rain we caught up again with Dhileep and Daniel to attend the 'Ok Go' concert at the retro Commodore Ballroom. (Ok Go are the band the produced the famous 'treadmill' filmclip to their song 'Here We Go Again'. Check it out here https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=dTAAsCNK7RA if you've never seen it before) The concert was entertaining, fueled by a venue with great acoustics, dazzling visual aids, confetti cannons and of course numerous schooners of Canada's finest ale's.

    Feeling a strong buzz following the performance, we staggered down to a nearby cafe to order the largest serving of 'Poutine' on offer. Poutine is a dish originating in Canada consisting of French fries topped with a gravy-like sauce and cheese curds (perfect for curing late night munchies and preventing the following day's inevitable hangover). Topped off with a bucket of ice cream we stumbled home to what was an awesome night and no better way to finish it off then to listen to Dhileeps hilarious failed online dating conquests.

    Tomorrow we're off to the suburbs for Suki's laser eye surgery!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    She's Blind!

    March 26, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 14 °C

    No, not her usual intoxicated state ? Suki had her 'No Touch' PRK Laser Eye Sugery today http://www.lasereye.com/procedures/no-touch-prk Recommended by her friend Daniel in Vancouver, she saved almost $4000 to have the operation here. The London Eye Centre has been brilliant to deal with and very professional. Very exhausted and drowsy, Suki is doing well and is getting more attention than a puppy. With 4 types of eye drops required every 30min to 4 hour intervals, im surprised the antibiotics hasnt started flowing out her ears! Anyway off to the shops to be the chef for the next few days of recovery.Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    I can see!!

    March 30, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    I'm recovering!! Eyes are still a bit blurry and sensitive to light but just a quick note to document the whole laser eye experience, which in one word, was SCARY.

    In case anyone is thinking about getting it done, I went with the PRK option, which has a more painful/ longer recovery time than the equally popular lasik/ Intralase option. The benefit being its meant to be marginally safer and also recommended for people who do impact sports (such as being punched in the eye).

    The worst part about the whole thing was the fear of something going wrong. Chances very slim I know, but the thought of not being able to see is pretty scary, and don't forget you are getting a LASER IN your EYES (getting your eyes prised open by scalpels and then the burning tissue smell afterwards was not nice.. fortunately the clinic was professional and amazing). The pain is moderate but bearable, what got me was barely being able to open your eyes and not knowing if that was normal or not. Getting the reassurance after the first follow up appointment was a huge relief. Also being so dependent on someone else is not something I'm used to, fortunately Travis was there and amazing, would have been pretty horrible without him :-)

    Remarkable improvements yesterday and as of last night I could see almost 80%! 2nd follow up appointmemt today and then we're off to Whistler!!

    Not too much to report since I've been blind/ bedridden however please find find a photo of;
    1. a root vegetable we got served by our Vietnamese airbnb family in new Westminster that Travis refused to eat (it was not bad!)
    2: all my glasses/ contacts which I will no longer need (yaaay!).    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    We're in Whistler!

    March 30, 2015 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 5 °C

    And its awesome!
    Travs old school friend Blake came and picked us up from Vancouver (thanks so much Blake!) and we enjoyed the beautiful drive up... Known as the Sea to Sky high way its famous for its stunning scenery.
    Blake has been living in whistler for the last 7 years... Initially planning on coming over for a season and ended up not leaving. We can see why, its a pretty awesome lifestyle!
    He even managed to get us staff discount on an amazing chalet so we are living the high life for the next few days ☺    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Keyhole Hot Springs

    March 31, 2015 in Canada ⋅ 🌙 3 °C

    What an amazing day!
    Today we set off to Skookumchuck hot springs (i love the names of things over here!). About an hour drive out of Whistler passing through Pemberton and the Mount Curry native township. Made it almost all the way there only to discover the road was closed so we set off for Keyhole hot springs instead. About 70mile out again but sooo worth it.
    Driving down the gravel tracks we passed no other cars other than some construction vehicles, eventually pulling into an obscure area on the side of the road with a tiny "parking" sign (where are we? I started to wonder). "Its just a 2km hike this way guys" Blake says. Sure thing! So off we set. It wasn't long till we realised we may have veered off the track a little.. because there was no track. Scrambling up and down rocks, steep slopes, along the river, under and over logs, through puddles and under a waterfall.. it was a bit more rugged than planned. But we made it! And wow.. what a reward.. Out in the middle of nowhere with not a single other person in sight we were at a set of 3 naturally formed hot pools set against the river. And the water was steaming hot.
    Completely priceless :-)    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Whistler Mountain

    April 1, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ⛅ 5 °C

    With snowboards under our arm we jumped aboard the Gondola with excitement as we slowly ascended the famous Blackcomb mountain. This journey gave me plenty of time to remember my previous crashes, lack of confidence, and how little 5 year old kids would zoom past me like I was standing still. Suki also helped lighten the mood by saying it would be unfortunate if I was to break my wrists at the start of a 9 month holiday.

    As it came time to strap in, adrenalin started to flood my vains as I started the descent. After a few nervous stacks, I was back on the 'bike' and started enjoying the perfect weather and magnificent views of Whistler Village below. Before lunch we caught the 'peak to peak' gondola joining Blackcomb to Whistler displaying a panoramic view of the mountains as Blake shared his bear stories with the rest of the group.

    After a greasy burger and can of red bull for lunch it was time to up the ante of my skills with my personal snowboard couch Kate coming to the rescue and teaching me the 'toeside falling leaf'. Looking stupid, but feeling a like a pro - I felt I had mastered the technique and was one step closer to becoming a true snowboarder. Big thanks to Suki, Jay, Kate and Blake for hanging out with the new kid on the block.

    With aches and pains and feeling like I had just completed a weeks worth of crossfit classes we headed down the mountain to what was an awesome day, with brilliant weather.

    Back at our accommodation, Kate and Suki whipped up a monster feast of thug kitchen lasagne with ceasar salad and garlic bread. With a handful of beers and countless glasses of red wine - it was a perfect way to finish off our time at Whistler.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Stanley Park

    April 3, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 10 °C

    With a small break from the constant drizzle in 'Raincouver' we hired a tandem bike for a leisurely ride around Stanley Park (aledgedly bigger than Central Park). Being a popular place for tourist and locals, the standout highlight was watching a family of racoons fighting over food next to the lake. To satisy our hunger we finished off the ride with dumplings at Dynesty before celebrating our new friend Emilys birthday at a yummy french restuarant in Gastown. Early night to get ready for our easter weekend at the Sunshine Coast.Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Sunshine Coast (the BC version!)

    April 5, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 12 °C

    Happy Easter everyone!!
    This weekend we set off for a weekend away to the Sunshine coast with Dhileep ("im not indian") and Emily ("im scared of being scared"). A late booking meant we were lucky to find accomodation and ended up all in one bedroom.. it was going to be cosy!
    Super lucky with the weather with torrential rain when we first arrived but clearing 2 hours later and ended up sunny all weekend. Hurray!
    First adventure for the day was driving down to skookumchuck rapids.. the man on the ferry told us stories of giant rapids and whirlpools sucking in boats as the tide comes in and out... We were pretty keen to check this out! We arrived an hour before peak tide and set off on our 4km trek through some beautiful forest.. the rapids were good but I think the man may have exaggerated a tad! No whirlpools the size of boats however it was pretty cool watching the kayakers attempt the rapids. Apparently the water runs up to 30mph.
    Back to Sechelt for a delicious pub dinner by the water (best ribs ever!).. good food and company made for a great day :-)
    Day 2- more hikes through some giant trees and a visit to Smugglers Cove, where the "man on the ferry" claimed there would be beavers there building dams... No beavers. We did see some beaver dams though so not all lies!
    All in all a great weekend with friends, some leisurely hikes and stunning scenery. Thanks for a great weekend guys!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki
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    1

    Stawamus Chief, Squamish

    April 6, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☀️ 11 °C

    We conquered the Chief!
    With a 600m elevation gain and towering over the surrounding mountains, the Stawamus Chief is one of the most popular hikes in BC.. and it was pretty tough! Definitely made us realise how unfit we are (too much poutine?). The steep narrow section including rope climbs and ladder at the top of the second peak made for a fun hike (approx 2.5 hours)... Plus the view at the top was totally worth it!
    Wildlife sighting of the day was some super cute little squirrels :-) Oh and we got a few comments on the gigantic sandwich we were eating.. check out the photo, that was only the half size option!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki
    1

    Go Canucks Go!!!

    April 6, 2015 in Canada ⋅ ☁️ 11 °C

    With scoring good priced tickets (scalping is legal over here!) we attended the Vancouver Canucks Vs Los Angeles Kings Ice Hockey Game at Rogers Arena. The atmosphere was amazing and flooded with Canucks fans from all ages. The competition was fierce with the usual brief scuffles and epic shoulder barges between players with both teams earning their fair share of time in the penalty bin. The Kings scored a sneaky early goal in the first 90 seconds which kept the Canucks on their heels until they scored a leveling goal in the last period. This led the game into overtime (with no points scored) then into penalty shootouts with the Canucks scoring in the final shot and their keeper Eddie Luck protecting all attempts from the Kings. The crowd went wild for which was an awesome game!

    Just as entertaining was the half time entertainment by little league teams who were stacking it all over the place ?    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    We're in Hawaii!!

    April 9, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 22 °C

    Aloha!
    We arrive in Oahu in the evening and Germaine has come to pick us up from the airport (thankyou soo much G!). Trav is a bit peckish so Germaine takes us to Leonard's for masaladas.. what's that u ask.. well, its a donut. But not just any donut.. a huge donut. Made fresh to order with all sorts of fillings.. it is the fattest ooziest softest donut I have ever had. Flavor of the month is mango... Yum! (trav had 2)

    The next day was an action packed first day in Oahu starting with an early morning hike and swim in the tidal rock pools on the east side of the island. What an awesome way to start the day! The pools were crystal clear with the occasional wave crashing over us as the tide came in. We hiked over rocks formed by solified lava flow and there was even a big blow hole erupting water (which I kept missing)

    Back to Waikiki for lunch and a nap, then a surf in the afternoon. Delicious home cooked meal for dinner and we were definitely ready for bed. Day 1- Perfect :-)

    Thanks so much to John and Germaine for spending the day with us and taking us into their home, we are feeling so blessed to have such amazing people in our lives :-)    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki
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    Aloha Oahu (Day 2)

    April 10, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    Lathered in 3 layers of SPF100 sunscreen, we jump aboard our old school bikes (looking like locals) and return to Waikiki beach for a full day of riding waves. We arrive at 8am and meet our quirky contact Ricky (who runs a sketchy board lease syndicate) to pick up our long boards.

    The beach is quiet at this hour as the sun is still rising so we paddle out ready for action. After catching our 'career' best waves, we lie on the beach to strengthen our tans (or sunburn) and stroll along the esplande stopping at 'Me BBQ' for a delicious korean lunch. By picking up some spare parts for the GoPro we return to the water for the next session. With the additional pressure of the GoPro recording our moves, we fail to produce redbull xtreme sports worthy footage and fill the memory card with countless stacks and failed attempts.

    Back home, we scrub up and ride the bus downtown to catch up with John and Germaine for drinks followed by a traditional hawaiian dinner at 'Highway Inn' and an outdoor art performance. Exhausted we crash early and await our trip to the big island tomorrow.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    The Big Island (Manta Ray 'Hide n Seek')

    April 11, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 28 °C

    A short 50 min flight from O'ahu and we landed on the Big Island ready for adventure. One of the main attractions was the opportuntity to swim with Manta Rays (apparently 1 of 3 locations in the world).

    The boat departed the harbour on sunset and we sailed north to 1 of 2 hotspots named 'Manta Heaven'. After the divers setup the 'campfire' (bright verticals lights positioned on the seabed) we floated out as a group on a custom designed surfboard with a PVC frame and lights shining down to maximise the amount of plankton attacted to the light. Plankton is the main source of food for these massive animals.

    After 1 hour of suffeing hypothermia the Manta Rays didnt show and we returned to the boat disheartened but warmed up with hot cocoa. The tour group offer a 100% guarntee that you will see the Manta Rays and given us the opporunity to rebook.

    We head back to our airbnb accomodation overlooking the ocean for some much needed rest.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki
    1

    Big Island Day 2 (Kona and South Point)

    April 12, 2015 in the United States ⋅ 🌙 21 °C

    Big day on the island! After sorting out our plans for the day, brekky and a stopover at Subway (the staple food item of choice since cost cutting measures were implemented), we headed South in our little red car.

    First stop the "coffee shack", a modest looking establishment with a stunning view from the back terrace. 2 locally grown kona coffee lattes please!

    Next stop Miloli for a nice little hike through some lava rock and interesting vegetation. Then, onwards to South Point!

    South Point, aka "Ka Lae" ("the point in Hawaiian) is the southern most tip of all of the united states. Stunning views of the Pacific ocean from the impressive cliff face stretch along the entire coast. But, that's not the main reason we are here... We were told it is a well known place for locals to cliff jump.. Eek!

    And we did it! 3 times! (for suki.. not by choice, someone may have missed the Kodak moment the first 2 times). Pretty scary! But exciting! Plus the view from the bottom was awesome.. crystal clear water and there was even a big blow hole which the tide rushed in and out of.

    Homeward bound after an exciting day and lucky us got a free feed and booze from our air bnb hosts who were hosting a party at the house! Fun night getting boozy with the locals.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Big Island Day 3

    April 13, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 28 °C

    Its a slow start after the boozy party last night and we check out of our accommodation and into our next airbnb place. We're met by 'Grizzly' the lab cross ridgeback (possibly more chill than any local we've met). He doesnt take orders from anyone and growls at me when i suggest he returns inside.

    After lunch its a short drive to Kua Bay for snorkeling. We arrive just in time to see a turtle struggling to navigate the rocks getting thrown around. The beach is packed with families and we suddenly realise that its spring break.

    Taking advantage of the '100% Manta Ray guarantee' we rebook our Manta Ray experience and upgrade to the scuba dive (after telling some white lies about our dive experience - and it shows ?)

    Tonight we travel to a different spot 'Manta Ray Village' opposite the Sheraton which is where the Rays were first spotted 37 years ago after lights were installed shining into the water to display the shallow reef adjacent to the hotel. This location is now advestised as the main Manta Ray hotspot in the world, voted number 1 night dive across the world and regularly filmed by National Geographic.

    Feeling a little apprehensive and watching 2 youtube dive refresher videos - we jump into the water and decend 12m to the ocean floor to sit around the camp fire (vertical dive lights designed to attract plankton). After 35 mins of looking aimlessly at tiny fish gobble up all the plankton we had produced we started to leave. As we head back to the boat we see our first Ray!!! Attracted to the plankton genrated by the snorkelers on the surface - we see a total of 3 rays performing continous barrel rolls and zooming over our heads. In the excitement, Suki takes on a spiky Sea Urchin and lost with multiple barbs embedded in her left hand.

    Back on the boat we share our stories, warm up with hot cocoa and sail back to shore. Goodbye Manta Rays - thanks for stopping by.    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Volcanos, caves and lots of dogs

    April 14, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 15 °C

    Manta ray dive complete we are finally ready to set off to the other side of the island. Suki did an excellent job driving! (self pat on back)

    First stop rainbow falls for a few happy snaps. Then over to Haunama caves, a not very well known spot where you can hike through an old lava tube.. byo flashlights! Or in our case, Travs flashlight and my mobile phone. Pretty cool hiking through an old lava tube in complete darkness.. we may have gotten a tad lost at the end where we ended up in an overgrown forest area. I think you are supposed to turn around and go back up the tube, but "let's go this way!" Trav says.. short story is we got back to the car eventually.

    Off to the volcano! No flowing lava at present unfortunately however still fascinating to see it with the steam vents and sulfur visible. We went back at night to see the crater glowing bright red.. very cool.. I mean.. hot (teehee).

    Tonight we are staying in a unique little cabin in the middle of the forest with Lily and Brian, a hippy-ish couple with a big property complete with forest, water tank, hot tub, cabin, 6 dogs and 2 cats. Yes 6 dogs. All trying to jump on us when we arrived which ended in a big fight and almost tearing down the carport. Just another day on the Big Island!

    Trav is not feeling well unfortunately and is having trouble equalizing his ears.. hope we'll be ok to fly tomorrow...    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    No fly day

    April 15, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 23 °C

    Trav is sick :-(

    Concerned about his abilty to fly with his ears blocked up we make the call to delay our flight back to Oahu till tomorrow. Off to the doctors..

    The urgent care clinic was amazing and very professional. Looks like Trav got a bit of an infection in his ears from the dive but fingers crossed should be able to fly tomorrow. Antibiotics, ear drops and lots of rest for Trav.

    Stuck in Hawaii for now.. could be worse I guess!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Stuck on an island! (like "Lost"!)

    April 17, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 23 °C

    Actually its nothing like the tv show Lost..but we are stuck!

    With no improvement to Travs ears, we have postponed all our flights, including the one back to Vancouver till further notice. The last 2 days have been somewhat challenging, with endless rain, the daily search for accomodation and having to return the car yesterday morning after getting stung $130usd for the extra day. We ended up staying at an airbnb near Hilo town, only to arrive at a room which was not as described at all and an old lady who refused to let us put our food in the fridge because she's a vegetarian and then acting like we were evil for eating meat. It was mainly having to throw the food out that made me sad!

    Determined not to let this get us down we decided we needed to get out of Hilo (and the bnb, at a hostel now!). We jumped on the local bus up to Hanakaa, a cute little historic town 1 hour away. The main attraction is Waipo valley, but that was 7 miles away from the bus stop so we settled for wandering around Hanakaa. We must have clearly been wandering very aimlessly because a random guy came up to us and suggested "you should hitchhike to waipo, its easy". Hmm.. ok.. what have we got to lose?

    2 minutes of nervously sticking our thumb out later, a lady going the other way winds down her window.. "r u guys ok?" "Oh.. We're just trying to get to waipo valley.." "Oh, ill take you!". And then she turns her car around, picks us up and drives us the opposite direction to where she was heading! We were so blown away!

    Thankyou sooo much Vivien for brightening our day with your love and kindness, it was definitely the best thing that had happened to us in days and lifted us up in gloomy times :-)

    And Travs ears are feeling a bit better! Must be an omen :-) Fingers crossed for tomorrow!    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Stuck on an Island......still

    April 18, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ☀️ 27 °C

    With no improvement to my ears we get ready to spend another day on the Big Island. After breakfast our new friend Celia and her daughter Jazzy asked if we wanted to join them on a trip to Green Sand Beach. We jump at the opportuntity and before long we're on the road for another adventure. The 2.5 hour journey gives us plenty of time to share stories and we learn that Jazzy and her mum are on their way to St. Louis to attend a robotic competion for their school representing Australia at the world titles.

    As we arrive at the Green Sand Beach parking lot were met by a ugly looking local trying to sell us a charter rides to the beach on the back of a dodgy looking 4x4 ute for US$15. We decline and decide the tackle the treacherous 6 mile hike ourselves. Running out of time, and with a flight to catch, Celia flags down the first Jeep and we jump aboard with Alex and Kieran and get thrashed around on the epic journey to the beach.

    Outside the car were greeted by free exfoliating facials by the hurricane force winds sand blasting our faces. A quick hike down the hill and were amazed at the beautiful cove of glistening green sands with families and dogs. A quick stop over and were back on the road with Celia's formula 1 driving finesse to catch her flight. We get dropped off at the doctors and bid farewell to our new friends. Best of luck Jazzy and do Australia proud!

    No update from the doctor so we slowly make our way back to the hotel and stop by the surfboard shop to chat with the owner Scotty about the local surf beaches.

    Now that were basically local tour guides, we share all the top destinations and activities with all the new tenants at the Hostel and polish off a few ciders.

    Fingers crossed its our last night    Read more

  • Trav and SukiRound the World 2015Trav and Suki

    Escape from Alcatraz! (Hawaii)

    April 19, 2015 in the United States ⋅ ⛅ 26 °C

    We're off! Mad dash this morning as Travs ears miraculously clear during breakfast. Flights booked, bags packed and off to the airport with 10mins to spare.

    Bit of an anxious flight back to Honolulu, not sure how the ears were going to hold up but ALL GOOD!

    Back to the comfort of Germaines (the life saver) house to sort out our things and prepare for the next leg. The last 4 lost days has meant we are going to make it back to Vancouver just in time to catch our next flights to Chile... 5 flights in the next 3 days.. not going to be pretty!

    Better start brushing up on Spanish and looking for a place to stay!    Read more

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